Nozzle for fuel servicing system for aircraft



D. SAMIRAN Aug. 18, 1953 NOZZLE FOR FUEL SERVICING SYSTEMS FOR AIRCRAFT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed June 2, 1948 8, 1953 D. SAMIRAN 2,649,109

NOZZLE FOR FUEL SERVICING SYSTEMS FOR AIRCRAFT Original Filed June 2, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR. 0 9140 .54 44 Patented Aug. 18, 1953 NOZZLE FOR FUEL SERVICING SYSTEM FOR AIRCRAFT David Sa niran, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Original application June 2, 1948, Serial No.

1950, Serial No. 175,279

(Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952),

see. 266) Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the United States Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention is a division of my copending application Serial No. 30,713, filed June 2, 1948, now Patent No. 2,556,221 and relates to a fuel servicing nozzle and is particularly applicable in filling the fuel tanks of an aircraft.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed consists of a novel nozzle which is intended to be carried on the end of the servicing hose of a fuel supply truck or other fuel supply vehicle for attachment to a fuel tank or through intermediate means to a manifold through which a plurality of tanks may be serviced.

The nozzle shown comprises means for manually opening the device and locking it in the open position together with means for automatically releasin the locking means, the automatic releasing means responding to resistance to further fuel infiow into the tank or tanks being filled. Means are also included on the discharge end of the nozzle shown for quick attachment or detachment to or from the fuel intake fitting carried by aircraft.

The valving within the nozzle shown comprises dashpot means whereby the closing of the several valves will be retarded, to the end that more quiet valve operation will be had.

The nozzle shown also includes means whereby, when the nozzle is detached from an aircraft fuel intake fitting, the act of detaching the nozzle will seal the discharge opening of the nozzle so that any fuel remaining in the nozzle will remain therein pending subsequent refueling operations. I

When the tanks of an aircraft are being filled with fuel through a nozzle of the kind commonly used for this purpose, a large volume of ambient air is being drawn into the truck tank to replace the fuel withdrawn therefrom and coincidentally a large volume of fuel saturated air is being expelled from the aircraft tanks by the fuel entering therein. The amount of fuel saturated air discharged into the ambient air during refueling thus reaches dangerous proportions.

One of the most valuable features of the present invention resides in associating with the bayonet lock which attaches the nozzle to the fuel receiving receptacle a means which coincidentally brings the space above the fuel in the aircraft tank into communication with the space above the fuel in the truck tank, whereby the fuel saturated air driven from the aircraft tanks may be Divided and this application July 21,

ing the refueling operation. 7

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a device made according to the above brief descripton, which will be efiective for the purpose indicated, will be of relatively low cost and will function in the manner stated.

I attain this object in the mechanism hereinafter more fully described, reference being had to the drawing, wherein, the pistol-grip nozzle adapted to be carried by a tank truck and the fuel intake fitting adapted to be carried by an aircraft are shown assembled, the view being taken in axial section, while an aircraft fuel tank and a truck tank are shown schematically. In order to show the assembled View to a sufficiently large scale, the assembly is shown on two sheets, and the two parts of the view designated Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.

The pistol-grip nozzle herein disclosed is, in appearance, much like the one shown in my copending application Serial No. 65,951, filed December 17, 1948, now Patent No. 2,580,446, entitled Fuel Servicing Nozzle. The nozzles, however, diiferconsiderably in several important details of construction as will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing, the pistol-grip nozzle 8 has a housing H? with a flange 12 by which its inflow opening I4 may be permanently connected to the hose [6 which extends from a refueling truck. A triple-legged valve guide I8 is concentrically supported in the opening 14, a valve head 20 being freely slidable thereover.

A valve I9 comprises a head 20 which carries a resilient disc 22 of synthetic rubber or the like held in place by the retaining nut 24, and adapted to rest on a seat 26 in the housing H] of the nozzle 8. A smaller valve 29 has its seat 28 in the valve head 20 and is provided with a resilient disc 30 held between an upper and a lower guide member 32 and 34 respectively, the upper guide member being freely slidable in a tube 36 threadedly attached to the valve guide 18 and the lower guide member being freely slidable in the hub of the valve head 2! A spring 38 reactin against the valve guide 18 urges the valve disc 30 onto its seat 28 which in turn urges the valve disc 22 onto its seat 26, thereby closingboth valves. A push-rod 4B for opening the valves has a shoulder 42 slightly spaced apart from the retaining nut 24 and is guided in a ring 44 supported on arms 46 extending inwardly in the housing In of the nozzle 8. Because of the space under the shoulder. 42, the small valve disc 30 will be raised slightly from its seat 28 before the valve disc 3 22 is raised off its seat 26, thereby decreasing the effort required to raise the larger valve disc 22.

A relatively long valve rod 48 has sliding bearing in a hub 49 in the outer wall of the housing I0, a packing 50 being provided to prevent leakage at this point. A bell crank 52, pivoted in the housing I at 54 is operative to transmit endwise.

movement from the longer rod 48 to the shorter rod 40.

A handgrip mechanism 56 having a framework 51 integral with or attached to they housing I0 is provided to facilitate attachment of the nozzle. A trigger 58 is hinged on the handgrip 56 at 60 whereby raising of the long arm of the trigger operates the long rod 48, which in turn, by way of the bell crank 52, operates the shorter rod 40. A ratchet-like lever 62 is hinged on the handgrip 56 at 64, this lever having ratchet teeth 66 which a pawl 68, on the end of the trigger 58, may engage. A fiat spring 10 urges the teeth 66 into engagement with the pawl 68 when the long arm of the trigger 58 is drawn outward. An adjusting screw 68 with lock nut 1I limits movement of the lever 62.

A trigger release mechanism 12 consists of a diaphragm 14 in a two-part casing 16--18, the diaphragm having an operating rod 80 centrally positioned in, and secured to, the diaphragm. A spring 82 biases the diaphragm to the unoperated position. A small hole 84 is provided for admitting a fluid under pressure to the outer surface of the diaphragm whereby movement of the rod 80, acting through the ratchet lever 62, releases the ratchet teeth 66 from the pawl 68 and thereby allows the valve discs 22 and 30 to seat.

Means is also associated with the trigger release mechanism for tripping the release mechanism manually. It consists of a trip bar 86 having bearing at each end in the framework 51 for sliding movement endwise with the bar, with a thumbpiece 88 at the upper end of the bar and a spring 90 at the lower end biasing the bar toward the thumbpiece. A nut 9| limits movement of the bar 86 in the direction of the thumbpiece. A bracket 82 is secured to the bar 86 in such position that it just touches the outer end of the lever 62 when the ratchet notches 66 are in position for engagement with the pawl 68, whereby, if the thumbpiece 88 is depressed when the pawl 68 and ratchet teeth 66 are engaged, the teeth will be withdrawn from the pawl and the valve discs 22 and 30 will seat.

Carried on the forward end of the long valve rod 48 is a valve 93 having a head 94. An enlarged portion of the rod 48 is slidably supported in a bearing 86 held by ribs 98 which extend radially inward from a valve seat collar I00 which is threaded at the inner end as at I02 into the'outer end of the nozzle housing I0, and faced with a suitable seat material at the outer end as at I03, an annular rib I04 in the nozzle housing being provided as an abutment for the valve seat collar I00.

A split collar I06 fixed in a groove in the rod 48 holds a flanged disc I08 against which the spring I I0 may act to move the rod 48 rightward, the other end of the spring resting on the ribs 98, whereby the valve head 94 is always urged to the closed position shown.

A rotatable sleeve I I2 is slidable over the outflow end of the nozzle housing I0 to the shoulder I I4 and, in operation, is kept in position by a spring snap ring H6. The outer end of the sleeve II2 has oppositely extending ears II8 which, upon rotation of the sleeve H2, lock in back of appropriately formed ledges in the fuel intake fitting in the aircraft when refueling is about to be effected.

A jacket I20 surrounds the nozzle housing I0. The outer end of the jacket I20 has a flange I22, the inner diameter of the flange being provided with lugs I24 which extend radially inward into keyways I26 formed in the sleeve II2, whereby rotation of the jacket I20 coincidentally rotates the sleeve II2 when the nozzle 8 is being locked into the fuel intake fitting in the aircraft. Holes I28 are provided so that air or vapor may pass through these holes and into the jacket and out through the hub I30. The hub I30 may be used as a lever for rotating the jacket I20.

The inner end of the jacket I20 has an inturned flange I32 internally grooved for the seal ring I34. Pockets are provided in the nozzle housing I0 for springs I36 and slugs I38 whereby the jacket I20 is given limited axial movement in addition to permissible rotative movement with respect to the nozzle body I0. With this arrangement, the flange I22 of the jacket I20 is always maintained in resilient contact with a gasket carried by the fuel intake fitting on the aircraft.

The fuel intake fitting I40 is carried inside the aircraft and comprises a body I42 and mounting bracket I44, the mounting bracket I44 being secured to the skin I46 of the aircraft preferably in the side of the fuselage, the skin I46 preferably being formed inward to provide an opening I43 into which the nozzle 8 may be inserted, the opening being provided with camrning surfaces I45 around its edge under which the ears H8 of the nozzle 8 may be turned when securing the nozzle in servicing position. A hub I41 is provided for connecting the space I49 by suitable piping to the tops of the tanks which are to be filled.

The body I42 and mounting bracket I44 are joined together by screws I4I or similar fastening means, a seal I48 being interposed to prevent leakage therebetween. Body I42 and mounting bracket I44 are both recessed for the valve seat disc I50. A seal I52 is provided to prevent leakage between body I42 and disc I50.

A valve I53 has a head I54 and a hollow stern I56 which is slidable in a hub I58 extending from a closure plate I60 which is held to body I42 by screws I62. A screw I64 threaded into the hub I58 extends into a slot I66 in the hollow stem I56. A relatively heavy spring I68 reacts against the closure plate I60 and valve head I54 to move the valve head onto its seat on the disc I50.

A relatively small valve I69 comprises a valve guide I10 which is slidable in the hollow stem I56. Valve guide I10 is faced with a resilient washer I12 held on by screw I14 and is shouldered at I16 whereby the valve member I10 will not seat the washer I12 onto the valve seat I18 to close the small valve I68 except when the larger valve I53 is opened by insertion of the nose of the nozzle 8 in the opening provided for it in the fuel intake device I40. A spring I is carried in the hollow interior of the member I10 urging the valve I68 toward closed position, a threaded plug I82 being provided to take the reaction of the spring I80. Conduits I84 and I86 are provided for valve seat opening I18 and a second opening I88 the purpose of which will later appear.

A check valve I90 comprises a valve seat ring 192 having two inwardly extending legs I94 supporting a valve stem guide hub I98. Ring I92 is faced with a washer I98 of resilient material upon which the valve head 280 rests. A valve stem 292 is slidable in the hub I95, and a spring 209 urges the valve to the closed position. A large pipe fitting 206 is held to the body I42 by screws 208, the ring I94 and washer I98 being clamped between the body I02 and fitting 206.

The considerable difference between the nozzle hereinbefore described and the nozzle shown in the copending application Serial No. 65,951, supra, Patent No. 2,580,446, will now be apparent for while, in the copending application, the chief point of novelty resides in the mechanism whereby, until the nozzle is bayonet locked onto the intake fitting of the aircraft, fuel flow through the nozzle may not be accomplished, and until fuel flow through the nozzle is discontinued, the nozzle may not be detached from the fuel intake fitting, while in the present invention the chief point of novelty resides in the mechanism whereby, when the nozzle is bayonet locked onto the intake fitting of the aircraft the space in the top of the aircraft tank is connected to the space in the top of the truck tank for preventing an excess of fuel saturated vapors being discharged into the ambient air.

The operation of the present invention is substantially as follows:

The nozzle 8 which is permanently attached to a fuel truck by hose I6, is pushed into the opening I43 in the fuel intake device I40, then the sleeve I is rotated about ninety degrees using the hub I30 as a lever whereby it is locked in position by the ears I I8, passing under the camming surfaces I45. At the same time and with the same movement as fastens the nozzle 8 in place, connection is made by way of the jacket I20 between the hub I4! of the fuel intake fitting I40 and the hub I30 of the nozzle jacket. A length of hose 393 is employed to connect the hub I30 to the top of the supply truck tank, while the pipe 390 connects the hub I41 of the fuel intake fitting I40 to the top of the tank 388, whereby the fuel vapor in the top of the tank 388 will return to the space in the top of the truck tank as solid fuel is transferred from the truck tank to the aircraft tank 388.

When the nozzle is thus secured in the fuel intake device I40 the handgrip 56 is grasped and the trigger 58 is drawn rightward until the pawl 68 catches in and is held by the teeth 66. The act of drawing the trigger to this position opens valves I9, 29, 93, and I53 and closes the valve I69 simultaneously except that the smaller valve 29 opens slightly ahead of the larger valve I9. The fuel, being under pressure, raises the valve I90 and flows through pipe 382 into the aircraft fuel tank 388. The top of the tank 388 is now connected to the top of the tank truck whereby the fuel saturated air forced out of the aircraft fuel tank by the incoming fuel is returned to the top of the truck tank.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A refueling nozzle structure which comprises a body having an inlet end and a discharge end, its inlet end adapted for connection to a pressurized fuel supply tank and its discharge end adapted for quick connection or disconnection to or from a fuel intake fitting, a valve near the inlet end, a second valve at the extreme discharge end, a hand-grip trigger pivoted on said body, linkage connecting said trigger to said valves for opening both valves simultaneously, a latch for retaining securing said nozzle in position to place the space above the fuel in the aircraft tank in communication with the space above the fuel in the supply tank.

3. In combination with a fuel intake fitting having a vent connected to the upper portion of a fuel tank, a fuel flow line from a supply means, a dispensing nozzle on said fuel flow line having rotatable locking means adapted to securely engage the fuel intake fitting, a spring biased sleeve concentric with the dispensing nozzle and operatively associated with said lock means to rotate said lock means, a passage through said sleeve to mate with the vent in the intake fitting upon locking said nozzle to the fuel intake fitting, and a vent line from said passage in said sleeve adapted to be connected to the supply means whereby the fuel vapor in the fuel tank may be directed to the supply means on refueling.

4. A fuel dispensing device comprising, a fuel flow line from a supply means, a dispensing nozzle on said fiow line, a rotatable locking sleeve on said nozzle adapted to engage the intake of a fuel tank, a spring biased sleeve concentric with said nozzle and spaced therefrom and connected to said locking sleeve to rotate said locking sleeve to locked position, a passage in said spring biased sleeve adapted to be connected to a vent in the tank being refueled, and a return line connected to said passage adapted to be connected to the supply means whereby the fuel vapor in the tank being refueled may be directed to the supply means.

5. A fuel dispensing device comprising a fuel flow line from a fuel supply means, a dispensing nozzle on said flow line, a rotatable locking sleeve on said nozzle adapted to engage the intake means on a fuel tank having a vent, a safety sleeve concentric with the fiow line and connected to the locking sleeve for rotating therewith, an annular flanged shoulder on said flow line, biasing means intermediate said shoulder and said safety sleeve normally biasing said safety sleeve into sealing engagement with the intake means on the fuel tank, a passage through said safety sleeve adapted to be connected to the vent in the fuel tank on connection of the nozzle to the fuel tank, and a manually operable tubular handle on the safety sleeve operable to rotate the sleeves to provide a locking engagement of the locking sleeve with the fuel intake and to provide a vent return passage from the safety sleeve to the supply means.

D AVID SAMIRAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,515,844 Dorris Nov. 18, 1924 1,655,312 Daniel Jan. 3, 1928 2,090,734 Piquerz Aug. 24, 1937 2,461,312 Dahlem Feb. 8, 1949 2,556,221 Samiran June 12, 1951 

